Launch of the CITAC project in Douala

Higher EducationInternational
13 Apr 2023

The Ucac-Icam Institute of Douala is involved in a European Union project, in conjunction with two European and four Central African engineering schools. Named CITAC (Cooperation and Pedagogical Innovation in Engineering Sciences and Techniques and ICT in Central Africa), this project aims to increase the quality of engineering training in Central Africa, through a greater correlation between the needs of companies and the way in which students are trained to meet these needs. The idea is also to increase the employability of students upon graduation.

The CITAC project was officially launched on March 10, at the Ucac-Icam Institute in Douala, one of four African schools involved in the project, along with the Nouveaux Horizons University in Lumumbaschi (DRC), the University of Buea (Cameroon) and the Loyola University of Congo in Kinshasa (DRC). These schools benefit from the expertise of the two European schools, Icam and Helmo gramme (Liège, Belgium), to reach international standards for engineering schools.

Four areas of work over 3 years

During the launch conference, Nicolas Gary, Quality Manager at Icam and project leader, presented the main lines of work:

Axis 1: work on the engineer’s skills so that at the end of his or her training, he or she is able to put these skills into practice to solve business problems.

Axis 2: to build relationships with companies so that the training courses are adapted to the job market on the one hand, and on the other hand to prepare the students beforehand so that they know how to sell their skills to companies.

Axis 3: to set up or reinforce a quality management system in order to verify that the promise made to families and companies is well kept: that of training students who are actors in their training and who have an impact on their companies

Axis 4: take advantage of this project to compare practices between partners, to enrich each other and to open up to mobility (teacher and student mobility).

For more information: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jywYtk22Y3M